The impact of intense cyclones is often associated with coherent mesoscale structures embedded within them. Although the formation of cold fronts is to some extent described by semi-geostrophic theory, the dynamics of many of these features are not well understood. For example, whether they could be described by a form balance appropriate on the mesoscale, or in the presence of non-conservative processes. Some recent detailed observations of cyclones and fronts are presented and some of the unknown aspects of their dynamics highlighted.
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